The Face Behind The Mask
by tiffywiffyfluffykitty
Summary: Five years ago, the world-famous Phantom retired from the music industry and young Christine Daae took his place. Only the two of them know of the connection between them and Christine couldn't help but long for something more. Unbeknownst to her, Erik also feels the same, but along comes Raoul and Christine is forced to choose between her childhood friend and the Angel of Music.
1. Chapter 1

**I wanted to make all of them in their teens or early 20s and in a modern day perspective lol I'm sorry if it's OOC or if another person has made a fanfiction with this idea already. I assure you I am not plagiarizing. **

**I know I already have so many other fanfictions to be worked on. Desert Wars, Temptress, and To Love A Jinchuuriki, just to name a few. But I was really excited about this idea and I couldn't help it. I'm sorry ^^**

**I'm only tentatively naming this The Face Behind The Mask. If I have a better title in mind, I'll change it. For the meantime, enjoy this first chapter and please review! :D**

* * *

**Chapter 1**

I closed my eyes, waiting for the signal. My stylist fussed with my chic leather jacket, making sure it rested perfectly on my shoulders. I sucked in a breath. "Meg, you don't have to."

"Of course I do," she replied glibly. "I'm your stylist _and_ your assistant _and _your best friend, and don't you dare forget that the 'Angel of Music' is coming to hear you perform tonight."

She was right. I closed my eyes and sucked in another breath. The 'Angel of Music', the 'Phantom', was a man renowned throughout the world for his beautifully majestic voice. Anyone who heard it would be moved to tears and beyond. He was only fifteen when he made his debut; appearing in a random talent show with a white mask over half his face, and he's hit the charts ever since.

Three years later, he had ended his singing career at the age of eighteen, claiming he was composing a piece that would move the hearts of the entire world, as if his past songs haven't yet already. People worldwide mourned, but two years later, the Phantom had pushed me into the spotlight and they've all but forgotten about him.

I would never forget that day. I had posted a video on YouTube featuring myself doing a cover of his song, Music of the Night, and two months later, he shows up on my door and tells me that I have potential and that he's going to tutor me so that I improved my voice even more.

I'd fainted.

When I woke up, I was lying on my couch and the Phantom, Erik, was lounging in my dad's armchair, watching Discovery Channel with my cat, Angel, on his lap. (Yes, I named my cat after him).

Four months later, I was introduced to the music industry after Erik privately sent a letter to the entertainment company he was working for.

A year and a half later, I was currently preparing for my first big concert.

"Christine, you're up in five," a stage assistant said to me. I nodded and sipped from the water bottle clutched in my hand.

No one knew who brought me into the music world and no one knew who tutored me. Only I did and I was sworn to secrecy by Erik, who then disappeared after I made my first debut. I haven't seen him until now, when I peeked out the stage and saw him sitting in Box 5 with Carlotta, another singer who resented my growing success. Last I saw them, Carlotta was attempting to flirt with Erik, who had worn a plain black mask for the occasion and who was studiously ignoring the red-haired Spanish beauty.

I grinned, feeling strangely triumphant. Meg shoved my shoulder a little and nodded and I strode up the steps into the bright lights of the stage and the roars of the cheering crowd.

* * *

"That was awesome!" Meg cheered as I wobbled backstage after two straight hours of singing and performing. "You totally rocked!"

"Thanks," I mumbled, still feeling as if I could hear the fans screaming to me, the blast of music in my ears, and the multicolored lights flashing before my eyes. My throat felt raw from singing.

Meg continued to jabber on as she led me to my dressing room, helping me out of my costume and fluffing out my hair so that it hung around my head in a mass of curls once again. As we were both attempting to get my boots off, there came a knock on the door.

"Come in," I called, and a familiar figure stepped in. "Daddy!" I shot up, one five- inch heeled boot still stuck firmly to my foot, and tripped into his arms.

He laughed and I felt it rumble through his chest and my cheek, where it was pressed against his polo shirt. "Good job out there, Christine."

"Thanks, Dad," I replied softly, hugging him tighter.

Gustave Daae chuckled again. "There's someone who wants to meet you." He stepped back and a tall young man with shoulder length chestnut hair and broad shoulders came in.

I stood there, mouth hung open as I took him in. "Raoul?" I asked weakly.

Raoul de Chagny laughed and held out his arms. "Hey, Little Lotte."

I let out something that sounded like a half-sob, half- laugh, and stumbled into his embrace. I closed my eyes and took deep breaths as I held my childhood friend. He still smelled of soap with another citrusy scent that made my mouth water. It was appealing, but I still preferred the faint scent of roses…

"How've you been despite all this fuss?" He unlatched one arm from around my waist to gesture vaguely. I knew he meant the last year and a half during my rise to fame.

"It's been good." I stepped back, wiping at my cheeks after I realized I was crying. "How was France?"

"It was awesome. My family bought the Paris Opera House. You should definitely perform there one day." His face lighted up. I only hoped Raoul was joking.

"No, no. I meant the University." I laughed as Meg pushed me down into a nearby chair and peeled off my remaining boot before tossing me my sneakers.

"Oh. It was fine. Boring as hell, but fine."

I laughed again. "You meet any cute French chicks over there?"

Raoul sighed dramatically. "Sadly, my brother Philippe managed to steal them all. Never fear, though. I do have someone in mind." He winked at me.

"Oh shush." Ever since we were young, Raoul has hinted that I would go out with him one day, but I'd always dismissed his declarations of love, knowing he was just playing around with me.

And really, before my debut, not one boy has ever given me a second glance. I was skinny, not slender. My hair was always floating around me in an untamable cloud of curls, and I used to have freckles across my nose until Meg— who instantly became my best friend and advisor when the entertainment company assigned her to be my stylist and assistant— managed to get rid of them. I was gawky and a music geek, and I do tend to be clumsy sometimes. Plus, I'm lacking in the feminine assets department.

But that was back then and it turns out that with a lot of makeup and hairspray, and a corset and tight clothes, I can pass for attractive, if not beautiful.

"Anyone up for McDonald's? I don't feel like cooking," Dad asked the room in general, Meg included.

My hand popped up. Meg had forbidden me to eat McDonald's for two months and I was in desperate need of a Double Quarter Pounder. Raoul's hand went up as well, and so did Meg's.

"Alright! Everyone out!" Dad held open the door and Raoul and Meg began to file out. I followed, but then stopped. "Wait, let me get my bag!" I dashed back to my vanity table and stopped in my tracks.

Lying on top of my purse was a deep scarlet rose tied with a black silk ribbon. With a smile tugging at my lips, I picked it and my purse up before turning and leaving.

"Who's that from?" Raoul asked as I fingered the soft petals.

I smiled and sniffed it. "The Angel."


	2. Chapter 2

**I wanted to do more because I'm still hyped over it. At least I have brownies and Bangtan Boys (K-pop boy band) to keep me going lol Review :3**

* * *

**Chapter 2**

I woke to Erik singing Point of No Return and sounding like a choir of angels all on his own. I bolted upright, only to realize my phone was ringing. I pressed the button. "Hello?"

"Christine! You're all over the news! You have to come to the headquarters." Meg's excited voice came over the phone. I peeked at my clock.

"Meg… It's 6 in the morning."

"Who cares? If you're not here in five minutes, I'm dragging your ass out of bed all on my own."

I sighed, knowing she meant it. "Fine, I'm up. And I'll need a lift."

"I'll be there soon. Get dressed, now!"

I hung up and flopped back in my bed, but thought better of it and rolled out, disturbing Angel in the process. He glared at me, then deliberately leapt off my bed and strode out of my room, tail raised. "Sorry," I called after him, but he didn't return. Cats…

Taking a quick shower while brushing my teeth at the same time, I tugged a pair of blue skinny jeans out of the drawer and pulled it on along with a black tank and a white off-shoulder shirt. I shoved my wallet and my phone with a pair of earbuds into a tiny black shoulder bag, smeared some gloss on my lips, and ran out the door, grabbing my keys from the hook in the kitchen. Dad still wasn't up, so I left him a quick note saying where I went.

Meg was honking her car horn impatiently when I dashed out. "You're going to wake the neighbors if you keep doing that," I told her.

"Sorry. But we really gotta hurry." She handed me a pack of breath mints and I took two, sucking on the minty freshness. "I didn't even get my coffee yet," she grumbled. Meg needed five cups of espresso to get through the day. Rather morbidly, I sometimes wondered why it didn't kill her yet.

"Woman, I didn't even get _breakfast_ yet."

Meg pointed behind her and I reached behind and took out a box of Dunkin' Donuts Munchkins. "I love you, Meg," I told her, already digging into the powdered sugar ones.

"Hey! Save some for me, you pig!" she exclaimed, swerving through the lanes.

"I'll give you the jelly-filled ones."

"Hell no! I don't like the jelly-filled ones!"

"Why are you being so cruel to the jelly-flavored ones? They probably feel neglected cause nobody likes them."

"Speak for yourself!"

We continued to bicker and argue all the rest of the way.

* * *

"It's about _time_ you two got here," Moncharmin, the manager of the entertainment company, Hannibal, snapped, glaring at the two of us.

"Sorry," I mumbled, licking powdered sugar off my thumb.

Firmin Richard, Moncharmin's partner, said, "You did well last night, Miss Daae. Very well." He gave me a thin, smug smile.

"Thanks." I nodded at them.

"Surprisingly, even the Phantom was there last night. After he retired five years ago, we thought he would stay in his home, working of that 'masterpiece' of his."

I nodded. "I was surprised as well."

"Everyone was surprised," Meg interjected. "Even Mother." Meg's mom, Madame Giry, is the woman in charge of taking care of Hannibal's business even more than Firmin or Moncharmin do; both of them just sit there day after day except when it was time to hand out paychecks. She assigns people for jobs, helps with concerts, and plans everything out.

"Your mother and the Phantom knew each other, didn't they?" Moncharmin asked.

"Yeah. She helped him out a lot when the Phantom first started."

"Hm," Firmin said, bored. "Well, you two may go." He waved a hand at us and we turned and left.

"I swear, they get lazier each day," I grumbled to Meg.

"I know, right. Mom's already overworking as it is." She shot a glare towards the closed door of Moncharmin's and Firmin's office.

I affectionately bumped her with my shoulder. "Come on, let's go out somewhere. Munchkins aren't enough to fill me up."

"Where do you wanna go?"

"How about that little diner at the corner we always said we would go to but never went?"

"Sure."

When we got there, the entire diner got quiet as we walked in. All eyes were on us. Well, _me_ specifically. Even the waitress was slack-jawed as we repeated our orders five times in order for her to sufficiently write it down.

Then came the autographs and pictures and by the time I left, I had signed over thirty-two napkins or other objects, and posed for forty-six pictures and barely managed to get a bite of that thick omelet that practically begged me to eat it. In the end, only Meg managed to eat anything.

"I feel bad for you, Christine," Meg said honestly. "But hey, you don't have it as bad as some other people. Remember that picture of Selena Gomez taking out her trash and it went viral for weeks?"

"And remember that picture of me trying to eat an omelet in a diner?" I asked sarcastically. My phone rang just then and I whipped it out to see I got a text from Raoul. "He wants to meet us for breakfast then take us out for a movie or whatever we want to do."

"That sounds fun."

"Yeah. The Opera Diner." I paused. "Wasn't that the diner we just came from?"

"Tell him to meet us at iHop or something."

"Good idea." I texted Raoul back and waited. "He agreed and is going to meet us at the iHop five blocks from here."

"Let's hurry."

Raoul had gotten there before us. Thankfully, I'd managed to get in without being examined too closely and Raoul had managed to get us a corner booth. "I walked into the Opera Diner and everyone was there talking about how you ate breakfast there. The owner was close to having hysterics."

"Meg ate breakfast," I corrected, sliding in. "I had to suffer at the hands of my fans."

He winced with pity. "I know how it was like. I went to eat at this café while I was in Paris and this famous French actor went in and tried to order a cappuccino. Never got his drink in the end, poor guy."

I smiled sympathetically for the unknown actor. "Poor dude."

"Poor dude," Raoul echoed. He looked at Meg. "I'm sorry, I never really got your name last night." He held out his hand

"Meg Giry, Christine's stylist and assistant." To my surprise, she blushed as she took his hand. My eyebrows raised. I _had_ to ask her about that later.

We took our orders and I dug in ravenously while Meg sipped at her milkshake. Raoul ate enough for two people and later took us to see a movie. I wanted to watch the new Disney movie, Frozen, and managed to get good spots at the middle. By the time the credits rolled, Meg and I were spazzing out.

"I will murder Hans and dismember him!" Meg declared angrily.

"And Kristoff was so cute!" I gushed. "I totally have a thing for mountain men now."

"Nah. Not my type, but I liked his personality." She headed towards the bathroom after loading her half-empty bag of popcorn into my arms.

"Did you have fun?" Raoul asked.

"Oh yeah. I'm so happy I finally got to see Frozen," I replied truthfully. _"Let it go_…" I sang softly, just loud enough for Raoul to hear.

"That's great. We didn't have fun with each other in a long time." He downed the rest of his soda and tossed it in the trash.

"Yeah, you've been in France for three years. Way too long." I munched on some of Meg's popcorn. "I'm glad we managed to go out again."

"Same here." Raoul pulled me in for a hug and I thought I heard something click. When I looked around, I didn't see anything. "What's wrong?"

I hesitated, my eyes still scanning the movie theater. "Nothing… I guess."

But the next morning's headlines changed my opinion.


End file.
